We love it here at TMI Base Mangochi!

We love it here at TMI Base Mangochi! It’s like stepping back into the Bible times in the sense of the simplicity and powerfully beautiful serene atmosphere. We could not have asked for a more peaceful place to spend our time. The TMI staff, Mr. & Mrs. Chales and all the BMW students are very friendly and helpful. We have a well out back and running water in the kitchen which makes our lives so very much easier and enjoyable. We sleep under the starts each night and even get to enjoy a small bonfire in the sand each evening. The property has many fruit trees and it’s comical to watch the larger goats stand on their hind feet to pick the fruit off the trees.

On the property, the goats and chickens wander around and are often entertaining in their antics. Lake Malawi is always within view and the team never tires of watching the sunset each evening. When the day gets warm, the Lord often sends a cool breeze to cool us down. The weather has been fantastic! Warm in the sun, around low 80s, then it cools down to the 60s at night. It’s quite comfortable. We had some rain the other night but it was a blessing from the Lord because it covered the sounds of the fishermen that night. A few members of the team have had colds but nothing that has stopped them from working. Mostly just sinus congestion and a store throat for a day or two.

Lake Malawi is the local source of fish for the surrounding villages and they usually go out around 7pm on week nights and return between midnight and 6am. The families greet them upon their return and help them with the fish, which are usually small, about the size of a sardine. They dry the fish and grind them up for use in their meals.

The team is doing a fantastic job on the worksite! They have moved several thousand bricks and positioned them so they are ready to be used. Pouring the floor has been the priority these last two days and it is now complete! The new floor covers approximately 70% of the three future rental units. All of the girls, Kym R., Katie J., Abbie S., Kyleigh P., Anna E., Katie M., and Erin G. all had the opportunity to go up the mountain with Mr. Bret to get gravel for the cement. They collected it all over two trips and even got to see several baboon families along the way. It was a treat to be able to go to the mountain and see the local country-side. They were all very safe and had at least two of the BMW students and Mr. David with them.

Mixing cement is a hard task but the team has worked well together. Ashton F., Anna E., and Everett K., have excelled at the back breaking challenge. Tommy and Everett K. continue to take a leadership role at the work site and Andrew works hard at whatever task he is given. Ashton F. has faithfully pounded the wet cement floor flat today as it was poured by the bucketful. It’s a tedious job but one he strove to do well. The girls are working just as hard as the boys as they carry cement in buckets and shovel gravel as necessary. Everybody rotates the jobs so all can learn. The remainder of our time here will mostly be getting the walls up by laying all the bricks. We are proud of all the teens as they work hard and learn the challenges of teamwork.

We are looking forward to going to another church here locally. We will be attending Sunday School and the main service. We should get to do our presentation using puppets, songs, and a testimony. The team loves being around the local kids. Several are trying to learn the local Yao language and the kids try to teach them new songs in Yao.

Tonight we will be celebrating Kym R’s birthday. We are having cupcakes with home-made frosting! Kym is a blessing to our team and we are happy she is here with us. Happy Birthday Kym!!

Please continue to pray for Team Mangochi for health, unity, sore muscles, and that the Lord would teach us new things as we strive to serve Him here in Malawi, Africa. We are still all in awe that we are actually here. We are eternally grateful for the support of our family and friends in helping us get here. The Lord provided through you.

Web Testimonies:Kym R. – Though it’s really hard work and most of us are not feeling our best, it never slows us from trying our best. When I don’t feel like working or I’m really tired, I have an amazing team who will always lift me up. Although I ever thought I’d be moving bricks and concrete on my birthday.

Tommy E. – Recently, since we arrived in Africa, God has shown me how there can be many things that can divide and separate the peace of a team. How we are all different but how the love of God can unify and bring us together. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and God loves each and every one of us. Fellowship is an important thing and we are dependent beings. Working along side the Malawi BMW students has shown me that the most. It has shown me how we can collaborate and work in different ways but still meet the same goals.

Kyleigh P. – Over the past few days here, I have really experienced allot in both godliness and in work experience. I am learning so many new things when it comes to new ways to lay bricks and pour concrete, to sharing the Word of God throughout the community. I can’t wait to learn more! The kids here are really fun and open to learning new things. They love to sing with us and to teach us new songs in Yao.